Windshield and top support



Aug. 19, 192.4, 1,505,529

E. H. BELDEN WINDSHIELD AND TOP SUPPORT Filed Sept. 25 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v n jlg' Q INI/ENTOR.

Edward Hbeden ORN Patented Aug. 19, 1924. l

N l it S EDWARD H. BELDEN, OF TOLEDO, OI-IIO,y ASSIG-NOR TO THE WILLYS-O'VERLAND COMr-i' PANL- OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION'OF OHIO. y

'WINDSHIELD AND y'T035' SUPPORT.-

Application filedseptember 25, 1920. Serial No.y 412,731.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD: H; Barnim, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Vind-y shield and Top Supports, of which Ideclare the following to ybe a full, clear, and exact` description.

This invention relates to improvements in combined windshield and top supports for automobiles of the closedtop type.

One of the objects of the inventiony is the Y utilization of the front supports for the automobile top as sideposts for thewind-,y

shield.

Another objecty of support of triangular form which` is preferably made integral and provided with integral -ineans for anchorage in the auto-y mobile body. a @Another object isthe further utilization of this frame as the upper part of t-he for@ ward door post.`

Other objects, and objects relating to de tails of construction and economies ef manu-, facture, will appear as I proceed witlr' the' description of that embodiment of them-V vention which, for the purposes of thepresy Figure III is a detail, perspectivey viewshowing kthe windshield and top support with fragments of the windshield in position.

exterior of the support.

Figure V is a detail, sectionalk view through the upper portion ofthe support and the automobile top, the section being` taken approximately on the line V-V of FigureI.

Figure VI is a cross/'sectionthrough the` lower partvof thevwindshield side post,the

section being taken approximately on ,they n i extend throughy registering ,holes` inL kthe line-VI-VI of Figure III. M

Figure VII is a cross section through the upper part of the windshield sidepost, the v section being taken on. the lineVII-VII i f be. inclosed in` an klflshaped .metal4k bindingk of Figure III.

the invention is the pro.- vision of a combined top andl windshield.,

Figure VIII is a cross section cf the ver tical membery of the support, which'constitutes the door post, the section rbeing taken substantially on the line VIII-VIII of Figure III. p

Like reference characters refer to similarr parts throughout the 'several views. i

vIn the drawings, 10 indicates the body -of an automobile having front doors 11 and'fa top 12. f

.The present invention has to do with'trgi-y angular panels-,at the forward upper part of the sides of the body. These panels kconsist primarily of rear vertical elements 1f3 including,- depending i elements 14, lower' horizontal elements 15,r inclined forward elements'l and top supporting ledges` 17;." These parts are all preferably integral, and preferably are cast of a -lightnietal such as an aluminum alloy. The substantially rtrisr angularspace inclosed by the elements 113,A 15 and 16-iis filledkwith a pane of glass 18 which may beheld inplace by any desirable y means.

f The vertical elements 13 and 14 together constitute `the major portions ofthe: for-` ward door posts, and to this end,l are provided with recesses 19 and20-forithe recep-k tion ofhinges 21 and 22. The depending elements ,14 contain perforationsl 23 for the reception of vscrews that extend through the Vperforationsy into the framework ofy the automobile body, thereby firmly anchoring the panel tothe body. Further perforations24 are formed in the horizontal ele-. ments 15 through whichr screws rare driven to assist in holding. the panel in place.

Theinclined element 16 is rabbeted as shown clearly in Figures VI and VII, to

v y receive the ends of thewindshield panels 25 Figure IV is a perspective view of the and 26.4 The'lower portion of thel rabbet is.y deeper than theupperfportion in order that the `lower panel25-may lief in ay plane behind f that of the upper panel which overhangsthey lower one.; rThe lowerfpanel ispermanently mountedin the ,sidejpostf The preferred means -of accomplishing this mounting is illustrated in the drawing, where the side edges,k of thefglas's areshown incased` in.l a metal frame member 27. Screw bolts .'28

member y27 land the side postlfand by this;

means the lowerpanelkis held securely inrp place.v The, bottom edge of the glass n'iay,r

of ahinge or hinges. For this purpose Iv prefer to employ a continuous hinge 85, similar to a piano hinge, extending entirely acrossthe panel. The side members 32 are formed with dove-tail groovesin the outer edges within which grooves are ,mounted weatherstrips 36 adapted to bear upon the side posts 16 as shown in Figure VII for the purpose of excluding wind and rain from the interior of the automobile, and

also for the purpose of preventing rattling. The upper edge of the glass in the lower panel 25 is inclosed in arubber binding B7 which forms a stop and support for the glass of the upper panel when the latter is in closed position as illustrated in Figure III.

Each of ther ledges 17 supports the forward end of one of the top supporting side rails-38 and also one end of thetransverse top supporting rail 34:. Each ledgeV includes a flat horizontal portion upon which the rails rest, and a vertical rim. {,Both yof these portions are perforated for screws such as 39 in Figure V, by means of which the rails may be held against movement with respect to the ledges 17.

In Figure II the upper windshield panel is shown in partly open position and a means 40 is thereshown for holding the panel in this or other positions of adjustment. There is also illustrated in this figure a fastening composed of two parts 4:14 and 42, by means of which the panel is locked in closed position, but as these features do not form any part of my present invention, they are not herein illustrated or described in detail.

While I have described my invention moreA or less in detail, I do not desire to be limited to specific forms, as on the contrary my invention contemplates broadly all proper changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts, as well as the omission of any-material element or the substitution of equivalents, thatl circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

What I claimas new and desire'- to secure by Letters Patent, is:

`1. In an automobile, a body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of said openings, said supports comprising 'triangular frames consisting i of vertical, horizontal and inclined members, ledges on the tops of said frames adapted to support the longitudinal rails andthe forward transverse rail of an automobile top, all of said members comprising each frame, together with the corresponding ledge, being formed of an integral piece of'metal.

2. In an automobile, a body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of said openings, said supports comprisingtriangular frames consisting of vertical, horizontal and inclined members, ledges on the tops of said frames adapted to support the longitudinal rails and the forward transverse rail of an automobilel top, said inclined members constituting the side elements of a wind shield frame, all of said members of each frame, together with the corresponding ledge, being formed of anfintegral piece of metal.

3. Inan automobile, a body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of said openings, said supports comprising triangular frames consisting of vertical, horizontal Vand inclined members, ledges on the tops of said frames adaptedto support the longitudinal rails and the forward transverse rail of an automobile top, and a downward extension of each of said vertical members adaptedv to be anchored in the automobile body, all of said' members of each frame, together with the corresponding ledge Vand extension being formed of an integral piece lof metal.

L Inan automobile, a body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of'said openings, said supportsk comprising triangular frames consisting of, vertical, horizontal and inclined members, vledges on the tops of said frames adapted to support the longitudinal rails and the forward vtransverse rail of an automobile top, said linclined members constituting the side elements of a windshield frame, a downward extension of each' of said vertical members `adapted to be anchored in the automobile body, all of said members of each frame, together with the corresponding ledge and extension, being formed of an integral piece of metal.

5. In an automobile, a body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of said openings, said supports comprising triangular frames consisting of vertical, horizontal and inclined members, ledges on the` tops of said frames adapted to support the longitudinal rails and the forward transverse rail of an automobile top, each of said vertical members constituting a door post, said'inclined members constituting side elements of a windshield frame, andv allv of said members of each frame, together with lthe corresponding ledge, being-formed ofan integral piece of metal.

6. In en automobile, 2t body having forward door openings, supports mounted upon the body in front of said openings, said supports comprising triangular frames oonsisting of Vertical, horizontal and inclined members, ledges onthe tops of said frames adapted to support the longitudinal rails and the forward transverse rail of an automobile top, a downward extension of each 10 of said Vertical members adapted to be anchored in the automobile body, each of said vertical members constituting e door post, said inclined membersoonstituting the side elements of a windshield frame, all of said members of each frame, together with the corresponding ledge and extension, being formed of an integral piece of metal.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

EDWARD H. BELDEN. 

